Wellness
Wimbledon – With a healthy mind and a strong body, you win every day
What is the single most important quality in a tennis champion? I would have to say desire, staying in there and winning matches when you are not playing that well. – John McEnroe
The 2019 Wimbledon Tennis Championships kicked off yesterday, with the world’s best players performing on Centre Court, eagerly watched by hundreds of spectators.
Here’s a few Wimbledon fun facts for you:
• Wimbledon is the world’s oldest tennis tournament, established at the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club (now often referred to as AELTC) in 1877
• The record for the most Wimbledon titles in Ladies’ Singles belongs to retired Czech and American player, Martina Navratilova, with nine victories. In Men’s Singles, the record for most titles is shared by William Renshaw, Pete Sampras, and Roger Federer, who each won the event seven times
• The longest match ever played at Wimbledon took place at the 2010 tournament. John Isner of the United States defeated French player Nicolas Mahut in a match that lasted 11 hours and five minutes and was played over the course of three days.
• This year’s tournament will handout a total of £38 million in prize money, which will be £4 million more than the total in 2018
The tennis tournament is clearly a rewarding event for the top performers and it is an event that attracts viewers from around the world. However, in order to compete in the world’s most famous tennis championship, each player has had to undertake extensive training and make sure they’re at the top of their game, both mentally and physically.
If their mind is not in the right place, they may be perfectly prepared physically but their performance will be disappointing.
But, what does it take to win? How can we take inspiration from the Wimbledon athletes to enhance our everyday performance?
With a strong mental and emotional foundation, you are primed to win. At work, you may have perfectly prepared your pitch or presentation, but if you are not prepared for the stressful environment of the boardroom, you will stagger and under-perform.
The priority should be on every day performance: waking up feeling great, having healthy relationships, performing well at work, and sleeping though the night.
So, how can tennis play its part in helping us maintain a healthy state of mind?
Physical exercise is one of the most effective ways to enhance mental well-being, with positive effects on our moods, stress levels and self-esteem.
Whether you’re picking up a racket for the first time in years or playing at the highest level, tennis is an amazing way to keep active and release endorphins.
It’s a really social sport which allows you to connect with people and gives you a different kind of focus away from your daily routine. If you’re having a good or bad day, it presents the opportunity to let off some steam while having fun on court.
So as the summer heats up, there couldn’t be a better time to get on court and play tennis – whether it’s a gentle hit with family and friends, coaching sessions, cardio tennis classes or joining a local tennis league, there’s something out there to boost anyone’s mood!
